27.65% Voter Turnout Recorded in First Phase of Bihar Assembly Polls Till 11 AM

Patna: A total of 27.65 per cent of the 3.75 crore eligible voters had cast their votes till 11 am on Thursday in the first phase of the Bihar assembly elections, officials said.

Among the districts, Begusarai recorded the highest turnout at 30.37 per cent, followed by Lakhisarai (30.32%) and Gopalganj (30.04%).

The opposition RJD alleged on social media that electricity cuts were being imposed intermittently at its strong booths to deliberately slow down voting. “Slow voting is being deliberately caused. We urge the Election Commission to take immediate cognisance of this rigging with malicious intent and take prompt action,” the party said.

However, the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer dismissed the claims as “completely baseless and misleading,” stating that voting is proceeding smoothly across the state.

Polling began at 7 am for 121 assembly seats amid tight security and will continue until 5 pm, officials said.

In this first phase, 3.75 crore voters are deciding the fate of 1,314 candidates.